Nematode dispersal is one of the key features for success as a biocontrol agent to control insects which destroy commercially valuable crops. Currently, commercially available nematodes do not disperse sufficiently when they are applied to a field, leaving clumps of nematodes which cannot properly find and parasitize plant destructive insects. Since the insect target is mobile, nematodes need to be actively moving and seeking insect hosts.
While it has been proposed that dispersal of insect nematode infective juveniles (IJs) is regulated by ascaroside pheromones (Kaplan et al 2012, Choe at el 2012), as shown herein, it is a blend of pheromones that regulate this behavior (FIG. 1). Only one component of this blend is known and that component by itself is insufficient to disperse nematodes (entomopathogenic nematodes, EPNs). As shown herein, a pheromone blend (FIG. 2) disperses Caenorhabditis elegans, a model nematode, which is also recognized by insect nematodes. However, C. elegans synthetic pheromone blend does not disperse insect nematodes as well as insect nematode pheromone extracts. We disclose herein compositions, methods of making such compositions and methods of using the compositions to optimally induce nematode dispersal activity.